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Old February 15, 2013   #42
Redbaron
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travis View Post
Red Baron:

Semi-determinate, as I said above, is a widely accepted designation of tomato vine growth type. You can Google "semi-determinate" for many discussions and descriptions of semi-determinate varieties and plant growth characteristics.

What I describe as "semi-indeterminate" is a growth pattern that varies to a degree, only noticeable by close observation, from fully indeterminate growth pattern. Fully indeterminate tomato vines generally put out their first efflorescence at the 5th to 7th internode along the main stem, then repeat efflorescences every third internode thereafter. The same pattern applies to all side shoots of fully indeterminate tomato vines.

What I call "semi-indeterminate" pattern is where a vine that appears otherwise to be indeterminate, will put out its first efflorescence at the 5th to 7th internode, then repeat efflorescences alternately at the second or third internode, and occassionally right on a node opposite the leaf pediole ... so you occasionally see a fruit cluster emerge right on the leaf node (rather than within the internodal stem segment), and opposite the leaf frond. Additionally, the semi-indeterminate meristem and side shoots never terminate with a terminal efflorescence as do fully determinate and semi-determinate vines. This "semi-indeterminate" type of growth pattern obviously has the potential to produce significantly more fruit than a fully indeterminate pattern. And that is why I select for it in the MoCross grow-outs.

I'd like to thank Mischka and Tomatoville for allowing my explanations, and hope my explanations have helped reduce the confusion and questionability of what you have read here and at other websites regarding my germplasm.

Bill Jeffers
OK Bill but what you just described is what is commonly found on semi-determinates. IE Indeterminates flower every 3rd node but grow on basically forever, Determinates every 2 nodes but terminate after several flower branches, And semi-determinates carry a mixture of both by flowering every 2 like a determinate and while a branch may terminate sometimes, the plant as a whole never terminates just like an indeterminate.

So is that the main thing you are drawing a distinction on? Whether a side branch sometimes terminates or whether it never terminates? Because if it never terminates ever, then I wonder why call it a semi-indeterminate at all? Sounds like a normal indeterminate that just happens to send out flowers at 2 nodes instead of 3. Or am I missing something else?
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AKA The Redbaron

"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system."
Bill Mollison
co-founder of permaculture
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